stop playing video games

So far I’m at 3 weeks. In general it’s been easy with occasional cravings. I’m having one now… right now I want to download The Elder Scrolls: Arena or Oolite and play the hell out of them. If you’ve heard of those games, you’re an addict too. :)

So I’m doing OK. I’m writing more, I’m playing chess, I’m able to sit down and work a little bit easier without procrastinating. I guess I work out a little earlier during the day. The problem is, it seems like 80% of my saved time is spent doing other useless crap like watching TV or surfing the net. I was never a big TV watcher and I don’t want to become one. If I’m just gonna do that I’d rather game, since it’s at least interactive and requires thought.

But we’ll see. Maybe it’s still too soon, and something interesting needs to just drop into that vacuum.

I am a HARDCORE video game addict. I’ve been playing since I was 11, from Vectrex to Intellivision to Commodore 64 to Nintendo to Sega to PS1 to XBox to Wii, with PC gaming added to that list since about 1992 or so.

I hate MMORPGs, so that’s not my problem like it seems to be with a lot of others. Where I go wrong is that I tend to play open ended games, like sports management games that go from season to season, and highly replayable RPG’s, that continue limitlessly. Because they can never be beaten they could suck up 1000 years and still be perfectly playable and tempting.

I just turned 38 and I’ve worked out that on average, I’ve probably gamed for about 2 hours a day, every day, for the last 25 years. That’s staggering. What could I have become if I had used that time doing something more constructive?

So I’ve successfully quit a couple of other bad habits this year and now I’ll try for my big one. My original goal was the end of June, but I’ll extend that right now to September 1st… just over 3 months. After that if I feel I can play casually, I will consider doing so… but I will never allow myself get back to the way I have been.

I’ll make exceptions as follows: Wii games where I am physically active, like Wii Fit and Wii Sports, are OK. Computer Chess is OK because I believe that playing Chess trains the mind and is constructive. If I’m visiting family and THEY suggest playing something together, that’s OK as they are not gamers and it’s more of a social thing.

Today is my first day and it’s brutal. I exercise a fair amount, but I happen to be sick right now, so I doubt I’ll be up to going out much or exercising for the next couple of days. The hard part right now, believe it or not, is filling the empty time which is why I’m here typing this book.

3 months. It won’t kill me. Wish me luck.